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GRAND ISLE, La. – Residents of Grand Isle, Louisiana are slowly returning to the area to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Ida.
The storm made landfall on August 29 near Port Fourchon – about 10 miles southwest of the state’s last inhabited barrier island – with winds of up to 150 mph.
HURRICANE IDA, AN “EXTREMELY DANGEROUS” CATEGORY 4 STORM LANDING IN LOUISIANA ON KATRINA’S BIRTHDAY
Almost two weeks later, the damage is still immense. Houses – which locals call “camps” – and businesses are torn apart, and in some cases only stilts remain.
Only the stilts of a house remain after Hurricane Ida made landfall 10 miles from Grand Isle.
“There is a big difference here from the last time I saw him,” said Brennan Young. “It’s a lot to take.”
Young’s grandfather lives in Grand Isle and she visits him often. The family returned to see their house, which is still intact.
“That’s the only thing we were really worried about,” Young said. “If he lost his camp, he didn’t know if he was going to rebuild himself. We are grateful for what we have. This is my favorite place in the world.”
HURRICANE IDA CAUSES GENERAL DEVASTATION IN LOUISIANA AND NEW ORLEANS IN THE DARK
Brennan Young’s grandfather’s camp survived Hurricane Ida.
Grand Isle is home to approximately 1,400 people. Census data reveals that nearly 100 people decided to leave after Katrina.
“I think after that it will be more; I really mean it,” said Jim King. “People just don’t have any money right now. They don’t have the money to pay for stuff like that.”
Jim King, a 16-year-old resident on the island, was one of the few who stayed during Ida. His house is also one of the few to have resisted.
“I wasn’t surprised, but I was grateful that I did,” King said. “When I built this house, I tried to build it on top of the codes they were asking for.”
Jim King weathered Hurricane Ida at his Grand Isle home. He suffered only minor damage.
However, with King’s house still standing, it will likely be weeks before he has electricity or running water.
HURRICANE IDA DAMAGE LEFT GRAND ISLE “UNHAABITABLE”, SAID LOUISIANA PARISH CHIEF
“I stay, I have no choice,” King said. “That’s all I have and there are other people here who are the same.”
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